Living on a Prayer
by sammygirl1963
Summary: Sam is severely injured on a hunt in the mountains of New Hampshire during a hunt and his chances of survival are grim. Angst filled Dean and John. HAPPY BIRTHDAY CC. Sorry this story is so late.
1. Chapter 1

**Living on a Prayer **

**Disclaimer: **I don't anything recognizable in this story, nor am I making any profit from it.

**Author's Note: **This story is a LATE birthday present for Criminally Charmed. I hope you enjoy it my friend.

Trudging behind his father and older brother as they made their way along the forested trails of the Whitehill Mountains that surrounded Lake Winnipesaukee in the scenic state of New Hampshire, Sam couldn't believe how unbelievably cold it was considering it was still early October. Sure he knew that with night falling that the temperatures would drop some, but he never thought they would drop to below freezing. Shivering as the wind seemed to blow right through him and chill him to the bone, he wished, not for the first time, that he hadn't hit such a freaking huge growth spurt over the past month or so. Sure, he still had his heavy jacket, but the damn thing no longer fit him now and they hadn't yet had the chance to stop at a thrift store and pick him up a new one yet.

Wrapping his arms around himself in an effort to preserve what little heat he could, he wondered how long it would be before his Dad finally stopped to set up camp. At least then he could relish in the warmth of a campfire as his Dad and Dean put up the small tent they brought along with them to sleep in incase it rained. So lost in his thoughts was he, he failed to notice that his father approached him until he felt the warmth of a heavy coat being placed over his shoulders and tugged tightly around him.

"Dad. No. You need this," Sam refuted immediately as he attempted to shrug his father's Marine issued olive drab jacket from his shoulders to give it back.

"Stop right there Tiger," John ordered as he motioned for Sam to put the jacket back on. "Your teeth are chattering so hard it's a wonder they don't break.

"But then you'll be cold," Sam stated guiltily as he looked his father in the eyes. At least he had a jacket on, even if the damn thing was worthless in the night chill.

"I'm fine for now. You just do as you're told," John voiced with a smile as he waited for Sam to put his arms through the sleeves before zipping the jacket up. "Besides, you ought to know by now that your old man is made of steel, Kiddo. A little night air isn't going to hurt me."

"Damn, Dad, I never knew you had a Superman complex," Dean smirked, dodging the hand that John playfully swung his way in an attempt to "knock" a little sense into his eldest son's head, before once again hoisting the backpack that held their gear over his shoulders.

"Keep it up Ace and you'll be the one who is washing dishes in Lake Winnipesaukee tomorrow," John warned, surreptitiously gracing his youngest with a wink.

"Lake Winni...what?" Dean questioned, shooting Sam a bewildered look as he tried to figure out what in the heck his dad had just said.

"Never mind Sport, let's just get our asses moving so we can find a campsite somewhere off of the beaten path tonight," John voiced, starting to feel the nip in the air himself since they were no longer moving. But hey, it was better for him to be the one who was cold than his baby boy.

"Yes Sir," Dean agreed, reaching out to tug the zipper up as high as it would go on his younger sibling's jacket before pulling his backpack back on also. No way was the kid catching pneumonia on his watch.

Leaving the hiking trail that led to a nearby campsite, John led his boys through some dense undergrowth making sure to point out areas which could ensnare their feet if they weren't careful. The last thing he needed was for one of them to trip and fall and sustain a head injury from hidden objects such as rocks or fallen logs.

"Hey Dad, how long before we can set up camp?" Dean inquired after an hour or so of trekking through the thick forest foliage behind his father. He was getting tired and knew Sammy had to be more than exhausted by now.

Just another couple miles or so and we should be able to stop for the night," John answered, as he glanced back for just a moment to check on his boys.

"Awesome," Dean replied, as he reached up to wipe some sweat from his brow. Who knew a person could sweat with the temperature at or below freezing?

Finally reaching an area John deemed far enough away that they would be hidden from any hikers or other campers, John scouted out the perfect area to pitch their tent; one where they could defend it easily and one that was also a short walking distance from water. "Dean, go gather some firewood while Sammy and I get things ready here."

"Yes Sir," Dean answered as he placed his pack beside a tree and walked off to the east where he could see a lot of fallen twigs lying on the ground, even though they were partially hidden by the vegetation there.

Quickly loading his arms with twigs, he returned to camp to find Sammy had cleared an area for their fire while his Dad was in the midst of setting up the four person puptent.

Gazing at the distance between where the tent was being set up and the area that Sammy had cleaned for the fire, Dean nodded in satisfaction seeing that Sammy had made sure to remove anything flammable within a ten foot area. The kid was a boy scout at heart!

Using his gloved hand to smooth out the area for the fire a little better than what Sammy already had made it, Dean quickly set about to putting the twigs in a teepee style formation. "Hey Sammy, see if you can find some rocks lying nearby,' he requested as he worked, making sure to allow enough space between the twigs for air to feed the fire once they got it started.

Once the logs were in perfect teepee formation, Dean grabbed some nearby foliage and pine straw to make the fire catch a little easier, then helped Sam to find enough rocks to surround their campfire.

Putting the finishing touches on the tent, John was pleased to turn around and find that his boys had finished putting the rocks in a circular fashion around the pyramid formation twigs and Dean was in the process of getting a fire started.

"Good job boys," he praised as he walked over and observed their handiwork. He really could use a hot cup of coffee right to warm his insides since the air was becoming more crisp with each passing hour.

Grasping his backpack from the ground, John routed around in it until he found the old porcelain coffee pot he had bought from a survival store for the occasion and filled it with water from one of their canteens and then sat down by his boys who were currently warming their hands by the building fire . Waiting until the fire had caught well, he placed the coffee pot directly on top of the fire for the water to heat.

"Hey Dad, did you happen to by any hot chocolate?" Sammy asked hopefully as he watched his Dad pull out a small jar of instant coffee from a side pocket of his backpack.

"Hot chocolate?" Dean questioned incredulously as he gave his little brother a disbelieving look. "Are you five?"

"Leave him alone Dean. Hot chocolate actually sounds pretty good" John stated as he reached back into his pack and pulled out a small box of the coveted item.

"Fantastic! Thanks Dad," Sam voiced gratefully as he reached out for the box so he could open it and grab one of the small packets out. He liked coffee, but not nearly as much as his Dad and Dean.

"Anytime, Tiger," John replied as he reached out and ruffled the too long chestnut colored hair of his youngest. It felt good to do something right in his youngest child's eyes, especially since Sam seemed more rebellious as of late.

"Don't suppose you would have a couple of juicy steaks in there?" Dean asked as he rubbed his tummy which had just growled in hunger.

"Afraid not, Ace," John answered as he then reached into his pack for the one skillet he had brought along for the hunt. "Tonight's menu calls for, beans, beans, and oh yeah…beans."

"Great, just what I was hoping to have for dinner tonight, NOT!" Dean stated, as he mock shivered. He hated beans.

"Sorry Ace, but that's all we've got to we can do some fishing in the morning," John informed his eldest son as he used his hunting knife to pry open the can of beans he had pulled out of his pack with the skillet.

"Remind me to buy the food if we ever have to camp again," Dean groused, knowing he would be eating the dreaded food item tonight. "You do know that once he has ate his share, Sammy will be stinking us out tonight in the tent, right?"

"Shuddup, I will not," Sam refuted as he glared at his big brother. "You're the gassy one in this family."

"You wish," Dean returned as he dodged the hit Sammy attempted to land.

"Okay boys, that's enough," John ordered, knowing that if he let the boys continue that things would get out of hand.

"Yes Sir," both boys responded, knowing they wouldn't like the consequences if they chose to disobey. The last thing they wanted was a five mile hike through the woods at night, or whatever punishment their dad came up with.

Serving up the beans, John encouraged his boys to eat them while they were still relatively hot. He wanted to get an early start on the hunt in the morning which meant that he would be up at the crack of dawn catching their breakfast.

Once they had finished their meager supper, John encouraged his boys to get ready for bed while he carried the dishes to the small stream not too far away so that they could be washed.

Returning to their small tent approximately twenty minutes later, John couldn't help but smile at seeing his two sons already fast asleep, Dean having arranged their sleeping bags so that Sammy would be sheltered from any danger between the two of them.

"G'night boys," he whispered as he climbed into his own sleeping bag where it was sure to be warmer.

"Night Dad," Dean replied, fully relaxing and fading off to sleep now that he knew his Dad was back.

'Should have known he wouldn't fully go to sleep until I was back," John thought to himself before fading off to sleep himself. Dean was very protective when it came to family.

TBC. **So what's the verdict? Do you want to read more?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Living on a Prayer Ch. 2**

**Disclaimer: **I don't anything recognizable in this story, nor am I making any profit from it.

**Author's Note: **This story is a LATE birthday present for Criminally Charmed. I hope you enjoy it my friend. ** _**

**Previously: **_'Should have known he wouldn't fully go to sleep until I was back," John thought to himself before fading off to sleep himself. Dean was very protective when it came to family._

Waking up early the next morning just as the sun was coming over the horizon, John emitted a jaw popping yawn and then climbed out of the sleeping bag, immediately shivering as he felt the loss of warmth that the sleeping bag had cocooned him with. Glancing around for his jacket, he was grateful to see that Sam had shrugged it off before going to sleep the night before and had propped it over his backpack. Grasping the jacket, he quickly pulled it on and then prepared to awaken his sons so they could go catch their morning breakfast. Glancing over at the two sleeping teens, his resolve to wake them dissolved in seconds flat.

Sometime during the night, Sam had squirmed about in his sleeping bag and was now resting with his head in the crook of Dean's shoulder and Dean had somehow managed to arrange his sleeping bag so that he could throw a protective arm over Sammy and still manage to stay warm. Not knowing for sure if Sam had been awakened by a nightmare sometime during the night and had sought out the comfort of his big brother, or if his youngest had just been restless, he decided to let both boys sleep.

Grabbing one of the collapsible fishing rods and a reel along with some fish bait, he quietly exited the tent. Scanning the surroundings for any danger, he breathed a sigh of relief noting the quiet tranquility of the forest, and then made his way down to the stream not too far from camp. With any luck, he would be able to catch some nice sized trout for breakfast and still get back before his boys awoke.

Casting his pole out into the water, John took some time to think about the hunt. They had come to the area because five campers had been reportedly mauled to death by what witnesses assumed was a rabid wolf. Of course there were some conflicting reports with others saying the animal looked more like part wolf, and part lion because of its' long mane. Forest Rangers had assumed that the witnesses were in shock and therefore unable to give an accurate description of what they saw. John of course, knew better. After some research and a little help from Bobby Singer, John had determined that the creature was an Alphyn, a creature that was very fierce and reputed to breathe fire.

Feeling a tug on his pole, John was drawn from his thoughts and quickly jerked the fishing rod just a little to snag the fish and then quickly hauled in his catch as the fish struggled to get away. Reeling it in to shore, John smiled at the size of the fish. Another couple of hauls like this one and he and his boys would have a wonderful breakfast.

Thirty minutes later found John hiking back to the camp area. As he neared the campsite, he could smell the aroma of coffee in the air_. 'Sure hope Dean brewed me a good strong cup of coffee'_ John thought to himself as he quickened his pace just a little.

"Morning boys, hope you two are hungry," John called out as he strolled within their sight just a few moments later, holding up the string of nice sized trout that he had managed to catch for their breakfast.

"Damn straight we are," Dean replied for the two of them, licking his lips at the thought of having such a tasty treat after having to eat those nasty beans the previous night.

"Awesome, then you get the privilege of cleaning them, Sport" John smirked as he handed over the line of trout to his eldest. "Hey Sam, how about making your old man a cup of coffee while I put this fishing gear away."

"Yes Sir," Sam replied, grasping the porcelain pot from the fire with a towel to keep from burning his fingers and filling his father's tin cup and filling it to the brim.

"Sure, give the brat the easy job," Dean complained good-naturedly as he set about his job of de-scaling and cleaning the fish.

"I'm not a brat, Jerk," Sam responded.

"Sure you are, Bitch," Dean automatically retorted as he began to scrape the scales from the fish using his old penknife.

Shaking his head at the antics of his boys, John thoroughly eyed the area around the camp once more before entering the pup tent through the small flap and putting his gear away.

**~~Supernatural~~**

"Tell me again, what do we know about this alphyn we'll soon be hunting?" Dean inquired as he pulled off a piece of the cooked fish and tossed it into his mouth. They had discussed the creatureon the way up to the mountains in the Impala, but he wanted to make sure that nothing was left out and it was always good to refresh their minds just before setting out on the hunt.

"Well, as you boys already know, the creature resembles a wolf with the mane of a lion. It is said to breathe fire, but that has never been proven yet," John voiced in between taking bites of his own cooked fish. "The thing we need to be most careful of though is its claws since they are razor sharp. "When the creature strikes, it uses it's long, eagle like talons to gut its' victims before they are even aware of what's happening, so I want you boys to be hyper aware at all times when we are hunting the damn thing."

"Yes Sir, you know we will be," Dean replied, knowing that he would be even more vigilant considering that Sam was on this hunt also. Sure, his fifteen year old little brother had been on quite a few hunts already, but he still felt responsible for the kid's safety.

"When are we going to break camp and begin the hunt?" Sam asked as he chased down his bite of fish with some of the water in his canteen.

"As soon as you boys are finished with breakfast," John answered as he finished off his own piece of fish. "We'll hike down to the river and wash up our breakfast dishes and then pack up everything and hit the trail."

"Sounds good to me. The sooner we get started, the sooner it will be over," Dean groused as he swatted at the bugs that were beginning to buzz around his face now that it was beginning to warm up some with the sun. Damn, but he hated camping.

"I'm finished now, so I'll just go ahead down to the lake and st…" Sam started to say before he was interrupted by his father.

"Not by yourself you're not," John voiced quickly, holding up a hand to cut off the objection he knew was about to come from his youngest. "According to reports, this creature starts hunting around noon and I am not taking any chances with that thing thinking you are easy prey if you're by yourself."

"Dad's right Sammy. Besides, I'm finished now also so we can go down together," Dean informed his brother as he stuffed the last of his fish into his mouth.

"M'not a baby, ya know," Sam grumbled under his breath as he pushed himself to his feet. Sometimes it felt like his family would never let him grow up.

"I know you're not Kiddo, but I'd rather be safe than sorry," John voiced as he pushed to his feet also. "Besides, your big brother is the one who needs looking after, so I am going to."

"Ha, Ha," Dean groused, giving his Dad the stink-eye as John grasped the pot of leftover coffee and poured it over the campfire to put it out.

**~~Supernatural~~**

Making their way through the dense vegetation a couple of hours later, John held up is hand to signal the boys to stop.

"What is it Dad?" Dean asked with a whisper as he scanned the surrounding area with an observant eye.

"I thought I heard something," John answered, nodding his head towards the area where the sound hand come from.

Crouching down, the family listened as a crunching of leaves sound could be heard once again. Immediately focusing their eyes on the area, they couldn't help but smile as they watched a mother doe and her young fawn come into their view.

"Wow," Sam murmured appreciatively under his breath as he watched them feed on some grass. They rarely got to see scenes like this one and it nearly took his breath away.

"Yeah, Dean agreed," watching himself as the two forest animals enjoyed their meal.

Suddenly raising her head as the wind shifted and the scent of danger filled her with alarm, the mother deer quickly darted off into the undergrowth with her baby immediately following behind.

"Damn, wonder what made her take off so fast," Sam questioned with a sigh as he took in the now empty area up ahead.

"She probably caught scent of us," John explained as he and his boys once again started moving as silently as possible through the thickening flora.

'_Yeah, or it could be that damn monster we're hunting,'_ Dean thought to himself as he held his gun in a more ready stance and took up a more defensive position behind his younger sibling.

The thought had no sooner left his mind when the Winchesters were stopped short by a menacing growl.

Raising his gun, John immediately scanned the area where the growl came from. "Boys?" John voiced, the unspoken question of whether or not they had seen anything immediately understood by both teens.

"Nothing, Sir," Dean answered with a whisper as he scanned the surrounding area.

"Nothing here eith-DEAN LOOK OUT," Sammy shouted as he witnessed the Alphyn drop down from a tree above, its claws glinting menacingly in the late afternoon sun.

"Arrrghhhhh."

**TBC So…..still interested?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Living on a Prayer Ch. 3**

**Disclaimer: **I don't anything recognizable in this story, nor am I making any profit from it.

**Author's Note:** Please forgive any mistakes in the chapter as this chapter has not been beta'ed.

**Previously: **_"Nothing here eith-DEAN LOOK OUT," Sammy shouted as he witnessed the Alphyn drop down from a tree above, its claws glinting menacingly in the late afternoon sun._

"Arrrghhhhh," Dean moaned as he fell to the ground, a sharp pebble digging deep into his palm, as his head connected solidly with the ground. He didn't have time to contemplate the pain however as he heard his baby brother scream out in pain.

"SAMMY," Dean shouted in angst, shaking the cobwebs clear from his head as he heard the roar of his father's rifle going off. He didn't take the time to check and see if his father had killed the damn monster however as the overwhelming need to get to Sammy consumed him.

Crawling quickly over to his fallen sibling, Dean cradled the younger boy's head in his lap as a deep crimson began to stain his brother's clothing.

"Sa-Sammy. You're going to be okay Kiddo. Everything is going to be okay," Deane soothed, tears brimming over from his eyes as he carded his fingers through his brother's too-long chestnut colored hair. "You hear me Kiddo? You have to be okay?

Of course, Sammy didn't hear him as the fifteen year old gave over to the pull of unconsciousness, the pain just too much to bear at the time.

"Dean? Dean, I need you to help me take care of Sammy, can you do that for me son?" John inquired of his eldest as he watched Dean emit an involuntary shiver. He needed to get Dean to focus before he succumbed to a threatening state of shock, so that they could administer life-saving first aid to his youngest.

"Da-Dad?" Dean questioned as he pulled Sammy close, his brother now lying unconscious in his tightly held grip.

"Yeah Ace, it's me," John answered, reaching out to lift Sam's jacket and shirt to assess the damage inflicted on his son from the now dead alphyn. His heart nearly shattered as he took in the heavily bleeding wound that encompassed a large area on Sam's right side from the alphyn's talons having sunk deep into his son's flesh when it attacked.

"Dean, I need you to lay Sam's head on the ground and prop his legs up in the air for me, Son," John informed his eldest as he stripped off his marine issued jacket and lay it over Sam. "We've got to get Sam's feet elevated to slow down this bleeding.

"'Kay," Dean replied, responding automatically to the order, even if his mildly concussed mind was struggling to comprehend what had just happened in a very short span of time.

Quickly grabbing the medkit from his backpack, John wrenched it open and pulled a packet of gauze dressing from inside. Tearing open the packet forcefully, he pulled the sterile contents from the pouch and pressed it to his baby boy's side, eliciting a groan from the unconscious youngster.

"S'okay, Kiddo. You're going to be okay," John unknowingly mimicked Dean's words from earlier as he continued to apply direct pressure to the wound. He had to get it slowed down or stopped before his child bled to death in the woods.

Though he was sorely tempted to check the wound with each passing minute, John held direct pressure on it for at least twenty minutes knowing that it would take at least that long for the bleeding to slow down or stop.

"Dad, what are waiting for? We gotta get Sammy out of here and get him some help," Dean voiced anxiously as he held nervously onto his brother's legs.

"I know that Sport, but I've got to make sure the bleeding is under control before we try to move your brother," John intoned as he finally lifted the gauze, and took a little comfort in the fact that the bleeding had slowed considerably. He just wished it had stopped entirely.

"Okay, the bleeding has slowed, but it hasn't stopped completely, so I'm going to have to make a quick travois to carry him out of here," John informed his eldest as he swiped a calloused hand across the five o'clock shadow of a beard that was now adorning the lower part of his rugged face. "Keep pressure on that wound."

"Yes Sir," Dean replied, waiting for his father to place another pressure bandage over the blood soaked one already on his brother's side.

Knowing that he could use one of their sleeping bags as the covering for the makeshift stretcher, John quickly found two sturdy branches, approximately ten feet long, which would work well for the base of the travois. Gathering some shorter branches, he quickly set about to building the contraption by notching some slits into the longer branches on which the shorter ones would rest. Once he had them placed about two inches apart, he wrapped some heavy string around them to help hold them in place.

"Okay Dean, once I get this sleeping bag in place to make the travois a little more comfortable for Sam, I need you to help me to gently transfer him onto it son," John stated as he began to spread out his own sleeping bag over the wooden travois. It wasn't the best that he had ever made, but they needed to get Sammy to help as quickly as possible.

Working in tandem, the two eldest Winchesters maneuvered their youngest onto the makeshift stretcher, being careful not to aggravate the wound any further. Sammy couldn't afford to lose much more blood.

Grabbing the backpack that contained their weapons, John slung it over his back, and then reached down to grasp the two front handles of the travois. "Let's get moving," he stated as he motioned for Dean to pick up the other end. He would have to come back later to salt and burn the carcass. The sooner they got some help for Sammy, the better it would be.

"Dad, it's gonna be nightfall before long. How are we going to find our way back to the Impala?" Dean questioned worriedly.

"We're not going back to the Impala son," John informed his oldest child as he led the way through the woods. He feared that Sam wouldn't survive the long trek through the woods. "We're heading down to the lake. There is a Ranger station near there and they can get Sammy to some help a lot quicker than we can."

"'S'good," Dean voiced though clenched teeth as he struggled to carry the little through the pounding in his head and the ache in his palm. Yeah, he was hurting, but he was sure it was nothing when compared to how his baby brother was doing.

"You doing okay back there Ace?" John asked as he turned his head to check on Dean. He knew it hard to be hard on the nineteen year old, helping to carry the travois, with the slight concussion the boy most likely had, but they just couldn't chance re-opening the wound on Sam's side by having the back end of it drag across the ground and jarring his youngest.

"Yes Sir, I'm fine. Don't worry about me," Dean answered, as he kept his mind solely focused on getting some help for his sibling. Pain was nothing to him right now. He'd suffer through anything when it came to his baby brother.

**~~Supernatural~~**

Laying on the travois, Sam floated in that state just before consciousness. He thought maybe he had been hurt, but his mind was so fuzzy that he had trouble recalling what had happened to him. He thought he heard voices, but then it sounded more like the swarm of bees buzzing around his head and he nearly gave to the blackness calling him once again. That is until he heard the sound of his brother's voice, a voice that sounds as though it was laced with pain.

"D…De'n," Sam stuttered softly as his head tossed from side to side.

Hearing the sound of his baby's voice, John stopped in his tracks and then started lowering the stretcher to the ground as Dean did the same on his end.

"I'm right here, Tiger," Dean soothed as he leaned in close and ruffled his sibling's hair gently.

"Ok'y?" Sam queried, leaning into the comfort of his brother's hand.

"Yeah, Kiddo, I'm fine," Dean replied. "Don't you know by now that I'm Superman and nothing can hurt me? You're the one's hurt."

"Sammy, how are you feeling, Son?" John asked, entering into the conversation as he kneeled down beside his youngest and palmed the teen's clammy cheek.

"Uh…'kay?" Sam replied, unsure of how he was supposed to answer the question, his mind just too muddled to put a coherent thought together.

"That doesn't sound too convincing, Dude," Dean voiced, his eyes glassy with unshed tears as he continued to card his fingers through Sammy's hair to offer what little comfort he could, while he watched as John assessed the wound on Sam's side once more. "Dad?"

"He's doing alright for now, but…" John left the words unspoken as he placed his jacket over Sam to help keep him warm and then returned to his position at the head of the travois. "We have to get moving."

"How much further to the Ranger's station?" Dean asked, fear for his baby brother evident in his voice.

"Should only be another couple of miles," John replied, knowing it would be the longest two miles of his life. Sam desperately needed medical attention NOW.

**~~Supernatural~~**

Standing on the porch of the Ranger's Statin as he surveyed Lake Winnipesaukee below with his binoculars for any signs of reckless boaters," Ranger Mike Wilson whistled as he took in the lovely young lady laying out on the deck of one of the boats in her barely there bikini. It was definitely one of the perks of his job.

"Whatcha looking at Mike?" Ranger Tom Quinton inquired as he shook his head in bemusement at the younger forest ranger. The kid sure did have an eye for the ladies.

"Oh, just about the hottest little number I have ever seen," Mike answered as he held out the binoculars for the other ranger to see.

"No thanks man. Happily married here," Tom informed his partner as he waggled his ring finger, the wedding band just barely glinting in the late afternoon sun. It would be getting dark soon.

"Your loss," Mike voiced as he returned to his 'lake' watching. His enjoyment was cut short however as he heard the sound or shouting coming from the woods just to the right side of the cabin.

"HELP, WE NEED SOME HELP HERE, PLEASE!"

Tucking the binoculars quickly into his jacket, Mike hopped over the banister as he saw Tom running to meet the two men coming out of the woods and carrying a travois between them.

"What happened?" Tom asked as he ran up to the travois and quickly took in the condition of the young kid laying on it.

"My Son, he was attacked by something in the woods," John answered.

"Mike, get to the radio. Tell them to have a helicopter waiting on us at Geneva Point Center, and then get the speedboat ready for transport. This kid is hurt bad!"

On it, Mike answered his senior partner as he dashed back towards the cabin. From the sound of it, they were facing a life or death situation.

Loading Sam on the boat quickly, Ranger Tom Quinton started administering what little first aid as he quickly hooked the teen up to an IV. He just hoped it would be enough since the kid was obviously in a deepening state of shock. Covering the boy up with a blanket, to provide extra warmth, he kneeled by his side as the boat sped off toward Geneva Point and its landing pad.

Holding onto the side of the boat as it sped towards help, Dean's eyes were suddenly drawn to what looked to be an outdoor chapel with a cross located in the middle of it. He closed his eyes and silently prayed that his brother would live to see it.

**TBC Thanks so much for the reviews you send. They are what keeps me writing.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Living on a Prayer Ch. 4**

**Disclaimer: **I don't anything recognizable in this story, nor am I making any profit from it.

**Author's Note**: Sorry for the long delay. Once again, I have no medical knowledge so please forgive any inconsistencies in treatment.

**Previously: **_Holding onto the side of the boat as it sped towards help, Dean's eyes were suddenly drawn to what looked to be an outdoor chapel with a cross located in the middle of it. He closed his eyes and silently prayed that his brother would live to see it._

**Approximately Thirty Minutes Later:**

"Okay people, we have a young teen due to arrive any minute with a severe laceration to his right side causing penetration trauma and extreme blood loss," Dr. Brad Folsom announced to his team as they prepared the ER room for the arrival of their young patient. Time was of the essence if they were going to save the boy. From what they had been told, the young man had already coded once on the flight in.

"Janie," call the lab and tell them I want at least two units of O negative blood STAT and another four units on standby," Brad called out as he pulled on the protective attire he would need to treat his young patient. He knew the young man could most likely be transfused safely with O negative since it was the universal blood type if his family was not available to give blood at the time.

"Yes, Dr. Folsom, right away" the nurse replied as she quickly picked up the phone to give the order. The helicopter should be landing any moment.

"Sarah, I want a crash cart stationed here in the room, just in case" Brad ordered of another nurse as he watched Nurse Alison lay out the equipment he would need to assess their critical patient. He hoped and prayed the kid wouldn't code again as each time it happened, it lessened the patient's chances for survival.

"Alright people, here we go," he called out as he heard the message come in that the helicopter was now landing on the roof. Watching as everyone quickly took their stations, Dr. Folsom took a deep breath to prepare for the incoming patient. Damn, but he hated it when it was children who were going through life threatening emergencies. He would make sure to do everything within his power, and then some, to make sure that this kid survived. He didn't have the time to contemplate more as the door was suddenly thrust open and a gurney carrying the young teen was rushed inside.

"What are we looking at?" Brad inquired of the EMT as he applied his stethoscope to the young man's chest to listen to his heart and lung sounds"

"The patient is in severe shock from a penetrating wound to the abdominal area. His BP is 90 over 50. He crashed on us coming in and I had to defibrillate twice to bring him back," EMT Mack Johnson answered as he hung the IV bag on the provided pole at the top of the medical bed while his partner and the doctor transferred Sam to the bed in the ER. "We have already administered two IV's with lactated ringers and have started him on a third to replenish the lost fluids."

"Is he allergic to any known medicines?" Brad inquired as he quickly noted the bruised area on Sam's stomach and quickly palpated it for rigidity to determine if there was any internal bleeding.

"Only penicillin," according to his family," Mack answered as he walked to the end of the bed and started pulling off the patients shoes as the nurses went about their work of charting the patient's blood pressure, temperature, and oxygen saturation levels."

"Somebody get this kid's jeans off," Dr. Folsom called out as he unsnapped the jeans and lowered the zipper so he could prod further down on Sam's stomach since there was some definitely swelling in the area of the trauma.

"Sarah, call down to Cardiology and tell them I am redlining a patient down for a CT scan and ultrasound of the abdominal area. If I am right, this kid has a badly lacerated liver and we need to get him to surgery stat," Dr. Brad Folsom stated as he peeled off his latex gloves.

"Do we know if his family has arrived yet?" Brad asked as then pulled off his bloody scrubs and started walking towards the door in preparation to talk to his patient's family so he could get surgical consent.

"They should be arriving any minute if they're not already here," the EMT answered as he followed Brad out the door. "The police were supposed to escort them in."

**~~Supernatural~~**

Arriving at Huggins Hospital, Dean and John quickly entered through the sliding glass doors to the ER and swiftly strode up to the nurse's desk.

"Hi, my name is John Winchester and my son was flown in by helicopter a little while ago," John informed the nurse as he shifted from foot to foot in agitation.

"The doctor is with your son now," the desk nurse informed John as she handed over some forms for him to fill out on Sam's medical history. "If you will have a seat right over there, I will let you know when I have more information."

"Thanks," John replied as he led Dean over to a couple of chairs in the corner of the waiting room and prompted his eldest to sit.

"Damn it Dad. I can't just sit here and twiddle my thumbs when I know Sammy is back there somewhere," Dean cursed in agitation as he bounced back up from the chair. 'He needs me."

"Dean, sit…" John's voice trailed off as he heard a voice calling out, "Family of Sam Winchester?

Standing up, John nervously awaited for the doctor to approach. "How's Sammy? How is my son?" John inquired as he looked imploringly at the doctor for information.

"Mr. Winchester, you son is in critical condition. He coded twice on the flight in, but the EMT's were able to revive him," Brad started, only to stop his spiel as he noticed the young man beside Sam's father go a deathly shade of white.

"Son, I need you to sit down for me and calm down,' Brad voiced soothingly as he led Dean over to a chair and pushed him into a sitting position before taking Dean's wrist in his hand and assessing the pulse.

"I'm…M'okay," whispered Dean as he looked at the doctor with moist eyes. "Just tell us about Sammy. He is ali-alive. Ri-Right?"

"He is…for now," Brad emphasized, letting his patient's family know just how critical Sam was. "I have sent him down to Cardiology for a couple of scans. I believe he has a severely lacerated liver which is causing internal bleeding. I need to operate as soon as possible so that we can get the bleeding under control, and hopefully stopped."

"Wh-Where do I sign," John asked wanting his youngest child to have every chance possible.

"The desk nurse will have the surgical form. I'll make sure it is brought over," Brad answered as he tugged a hand through his hair.

"Another thing I need to let you know is that Sam is most likely going to need some blood transfusions during surgery. It would be better if it came from a family member…" his voice trailed off as he watched both Winchesters shed their jackets and begin to roll up their sleeves.

"Where do we donate?" Dean asked, willing to give all of his blood if that was what it took to make sure his baby brother would survive.

"I'll have somebody come out to escort you to the lab," Brad answered with a smile as he pushed himself to a standing position. He really needed to get prepped for surgery.

**~~Supernatural~~**

Gazing at the CT scan and Ultrasound images in the ER, Brad could easily ascertain that his patient had sustained a grade 4 liver injury with active bleeding, one that would indeed require surgery to fix.

"Okay, let's get this kid to the OR," Brad voiced as he and his team of nurses prepared Sam for transport. "Also, get somebody down to the lab. His family is donating blood right now. I want it typed and cross-matched ASAP and delivered to the OR."

"Yes Doctor," Nurse Alison answered as she unlocked the wheels to the portable gurney and the team rushed Sam out of the room. Watching as the young man was wheeled away; she said a quick prayer for him as she made her way to the lab to do as requested.

Arriving at the OR just moments later, Brad scrubbed up as his team of OR nurses went to work preparing his young patient for the surgery.

Knowing that direct control of the bleeding was of utmost importance in this type of injury, Brad went to work on managing the penetrative injury. Calling for four units of blood to be hung for the activation of massive blood transfusion, he cut into Sam's stomach and began his search for the damaged area. Finding it quickly, he put some direct pressure on the area for approximately fifteen minutes to stop the bleeding, or at least slow it down. Once the bleeding has considerably slowed, he quickly went to work repairing the venous injury and then afterwards, packed the area with perahepatic packing. Once that was finished, he did a temporary closing of the abdominal area knowing he would have to go in later to check for success before fully closing the area.

Washing up as his patient was transferred to the ICU for intensive care and observation, Brad thought about what he would say to the family of the young man he had just operated on. The next twenty four hours were going to be crucial for his survival. And with the massive blood lost the kid had sustained before reaching the hospital, he could only pray the kid had the strength he would need from the transfusion given, especially considering how low his blood pressure was at the moment.

**~~Supernatural~~**

Walking up to Sam's family who was now waiting in the OR waiting room, Brad pulled off his surgical cap and approached the pair who were standing to greet him.

"Please, just tell me my son survived the surgery?" John pleaded as he took in the concerned look on the doctor's face.

"Yes, Sam did make it through the surgery without coding on the table thankfully," Brad informed the angst-ridden family before him. "However, I need to tell you now that the next twenty four hours are critical. Sam has lost an enormous amount of blood and he is quite weak. We're having trouble maintaining his blood pressure and stabilizing his oxygen stats. Your son's life is in God's hands now."

"How long until we can see Sam again?" John asked as he scrubbed a calloused hand across his lower jaw. They hadn't seen Sammy since he was put into the helicopter and it was nearly killing him. He could only imagine what it was doing to Dean. They had hoped to see Sam before surgery, but had been too pushed before time since surgery was of the essence.

Chewing on his bottom lip as a lone tear trailed down his face, the words the doctor had just emitted kept going through Dean's mind. _"Your son's life is in God's hands now."_

"I…I need to go do so-something," Dean stammered before rushing out the door, leaving his father and the doctor to wonder what the hell had just happened and where in the world he was going?"

**TBC Any ideas as to what Dean is up to and where he might be going?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Living on a Prayer Ch. 5**

**Disclaimer: **I don't anything recognizable in this story, nor am I making any profit from it.

**Author's Note: ** Some people wondered why Sam was seen in cardiology instead of radiology in the last chapter. This chapter should provide the answers. It is what I found through researching the treatment for Sam's injury and massive amounts of blood loss.

**This chapter is unbeta'ed so please forgive any mistakes.**

**Previously: **_"I…I need to go do so-something," Dean stammered before rushing out the door, leaving his father and the doctor to wonder what the hell had just happened and where in the world he was going?"_

"What the hell?" John questioned worriedly as he watched his eldest run from the room. He couldn't believe Dean would just take off like that; not when Sammy was in such dire straits.

"Mr. Winchester, do you need to go after your son?" Dr. Brad Folsom asked, noticing the worried look on the hunter's face.

"No. Dean's, he's… uh; he's just struggling with the news. He'll be back," John answered, knowing that truer words were never spoken. Dean would be back when he had time to digest the news and get it together. "Can I…Can I see my son?'

"Yes you may, after we have gotten him settled in ICU. But only for just a few moments," Brad answered, knowing that John had not had a chance to see Sam before the surgery. He didn't want to deprive the father of his only chance of being with the boy should Sam succumb to his injuries. "Just follow the signs to the ICU waiting room. I'll let them know you are on your way."

"Thanks Doc, for everything," John voiced as he grasped the doctor's right hand and gave it a firm shake before making his way down to the Intensive Care Unit.

Waltzing up to the ICU Nurse's desk just moments later, John informed them who he was and was asked to take a seat while they got Sam situated in his room.

Sitting down on one of the almond colored chairs in the small waiting room, John was glad it was relatively devoid of people, except for two people who looked to be in their mid-forties. Gracing them with a tight smile, John turned away from them and started at the painting on the wall as he thought about Dean and where he had gotten off to. He knew he wouldn't stray too far from his brother, not while Sammy was in the hospital. Dean loved his baby brother too much to go off somewhere for any substantial length of time. He just hoped that wherever Dean went, he was holding it together. Hell, he wouldn't blame the boy for going off and downing a few beers to drown his sorrow, but he didn't think that was the case this time. No, the kin needed a few hours to himself to get his poker face back on and be ready to face whatever was coming their way.

Glancing towards the ICU doors, he could only wonder exactly what it was that was happening. Was his baby boy behind those doors sedated and resting comfortably, or was he at this moment fighting for his very life? He couldn't help but shiver as he thought about what would happen if they lost Sam. He knew without a doubt that he wouldn't only be losing one son, that he would lose two if that were the case.

**~~Supernatural~~**

Driving the Impala down 240 Main Street in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, Dean had only one destination in mind. He had to get to Geneva Point Center, the retreat that was situated firmly across the lake from where they had been hunting. He knew if he could get to the Center, then his prayers would be heard. Why else would his eyes have taken in the cross that was centered in the middle of the outdoor chapel as the Rangers rushed Sammy to the rendezvous point with the helicopter? Maybe this was all a test, a test of what he would do for his baby brother? He didn't know. He only knew that he needed to get to that magnificent cross that he had seen and plead for his brother's life.

Sure, it had been years since he prayed, he wasn't sure if he even remembered how to do so. And to be honest, he wasn't even sure what he believed in anymore. Were there really angels or a higher power watching over them as his mother had stated so many times when he was just a little boy?

He couldn't answer that question. But one thing he knew, he wasn't ready to trust his brother's life to just the physicians at the hospital. If his Mom and Pastor Jim believed, then maybe there was something for him to believe in also. If there was even the slightest chance that there was a Higher Power, someone that could help Sammy, then he had to do everything in his power to make sure that being knew how much the kid meant to him.

Turning right onto Route 28, Dean unconsciously carded his fingers through his short, spiky, blonde hair nervously as he thought about how long it would take to get back to the Center. He knew it would take longer than the trip in, and he hoped he could find the place without any trouble. He had the coordinates in his head, but he didn't have his sidekick beside him to keep him on track and damned if that didn't feel all kinds of wrong.

"Damn it, I can't lose you Sammy," Dean voiced aloud as he kept his eyes trained on the road ahead. He didn't even want to contemplate a life without his younger sibling in it because as far as he was concerned, it wouldn't be a life worth living. Sammy had been his whole world for so long, that he could barely remember his life before his sibling had been born.

Keeping on the designated route for the next twenty minutes, Dean breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the center come into sight. Pulling into the expansive parking lot, he quickly parked the sleek, black muscle car away in a secluded corner where no other cars were parked and then climbed out and locked the door.

Keeping to the shadows, Dean quickly made his way through the wooded area of the Center Grounds, trying to be innocuous was possible to the few people who were out roaming about. Finally nearing the outdoor chapel, he scanned the grounds to make sure it was empty and then walked up to the silver colored cross situated on the grounds. Chewing on his bottom lip, he felt a full body shiver run through him and quickly kneeled at the stone base to bow his head in prayer.

**~Meanwhile, back at the hospital~~**

"Mr. Winchester, you can see your son now," Jodie, the ICU nurse, informed John as she approached him in the ICU waiting room. It had taken them longer than they had expected to get the teen stabilized once he was moved to ICU because his blood pressure was bouncing around so erratically.

"How…How is my doing?" John questioned as he stood to follow the nurse through the sliding glass doors.

"I'm not doctor, so I really can't answer that for you. But I can tell you that he is fighting and that we will do everything in our power to make sure he recovers," Jodie answered as best she could. "I need to prepare you though so you will know what to expect when you see your son. We were having some trouble stabilizing Sam because of his blood pressure, so he is hooked up to a ventilator to make sure he is getting enough oxygen. He is also hooked up to an EKG so we can closely monitor his vitals. The doctor has put him on an antibiotic drip and he is still receiving a blood transfusion at this time in hopes that it will help with his pressure."

"Is the doctor worried about Sammy's heart? Is that why his tests were done in cardiology?" John questioned as he took a faltering step forward.

"The doctors were concerned about his heart possibly giving out on him due to the amount of blood loss, so it was safer for them to perform the tests there where they would have the needed equipment if Sam had coded and needed life sustaining surgery right then," Jodie answered hoping to quell some of the man's fears. "I assure Mr. Winchester, it was only a precaution."

"Here we are," the nurse stated as she stopped in front of ICU room 4. "If you have any questions, or need me, I will be at the desk."

"Thanks," John voiced with a near whisper, his heart clenching at the thought of seeing his youngest on a ventilator.

"You're welcome," Jodie stated as she walked away to allow the anxious father to have some private time alone with his child.

Walking quietly into the room, John's heart early broke at the sight of his son lying there so still and pale in the bed with the ventilator tube protruding from his mouth. He just couldn't reconcile himself to seeing the kid so still when Sammy was always moving, even in his sleep. Walking softly to the side of the bed, he reached out a shaky hand and tugged his fingers through Sam's chestnut colored locks.

"Hey Kiddo, its Dad," he voiced around the lump in his throat. "I know you were probably expecting your big brother, but he'll be here in a little while. He just needed…."

John's voice broke off and he looked up in a panic and Sam's heart monitor began to wail.

"I'm sorry Mr. Winchester, but you will have to leave," Jodie informed the angst-filled father as she rushed into the room followed by a host of other nurses and a couple of doctors.

"What the hell is happening?" John questioned as he found himself being pushed out of the room by one of the male nurses.

"I'm sorry, but the doctors need room to work and you will only be in their way," The male nurse informed John before re-entering Sam's room and closing the curtain behind them.

**TBC. I hope everyone has a safe, healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year!**


End file.
